Does Odysseus ever redeem himself for his mistakes?

[Andrew B]

Did Odysseus cause his own problems? Is it the case that he, and all
his men, could have sailed home to Ithaca safely, but it is by
Odysseus' hand that they are made to suffer. His arrogance and
unbridled curiousity, his desire for greater glory, motivate him to
make decisions that ultimately end the lives of all of his men. Is he
then a hero? Or is he rather a failed, a false hero? He seems to only
have worth when pitted against other men, but when contending with his
own faults he cannot muster an ounce of prudence.

Of course he does eventually make it home in the end, but isn't it
only by the intervention of the gods? Athena engineers his final
triumphant return, but does he deserve it? In his wandering he reaps
what he sows. If he only kept his mouth shut with Polyphemus, if only
he listened to Tiresias about the cattle of Helios, and held at bay
his own greedy curiousity, he would have successfully led his men
home, rather than leading them to their death.

Odysseus eventually puts his own home in order, but aren't there many
many other homes which go unmended. The wives of all his men, they do
not know the fate of their husbands. Sons do not know the fate of
their fathers. And what could Odysseus do to put them at ease? Could
he tell them, "I led your husband, your father, to his death because I
was too curious, I couldn't help but taunt the Cyclops, I was tired
and took to many naps at inopportune times."

At the end Odysseus has made a great journey. He has experienced many
things, learned and grown as a man, but at what cost? Ultimately are
Odysseus' actions during the epic ever justified?

[Jeffery L]

I really dont think that Odysseus is all that arrogant, rather he
strives to be good at everything: all ways of contending. But i do
agree that his curiosity is what gets them into all that trouble.